It’s Tuesday. That means it’s time for another Take Five, HOH’s weekly chance to get to know a member of Congress a little better by asking five fun questions relatively unrelated to their legislative work. This week, freshman Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., talks about how Washington, D.C., has changed since he was a master’s candidate at Georgetown University and discloses his New York baseball team of choice.
Q: Your district encompasses many vibrant and diverse neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens. Where’s your favorite hangout spot in your district?

A: Two Steps Down, a Clinton Hill restaurant owned by three sisters, for Sunday brunch.

Q: There are many sports rivalries in the New York media market. With baseball season fast approaching, we have to ask: Yankees or Mets?

A: Yankees.

Q: You served in the New York state Assembly prior to coming to Washington. What’s the biggest difference between your role as a state legislator and being a member of Congress?

A: There were moments of intensity as a member of the state Assembly, particularly during the budget and at the close of the legislative session. On Capitol Hill, the level of responsibility I am charged to undertake is consistently intense.

Q: You received a graduate degree from Georgetown University. What’s changed in Washington since you received your degree in 1994?

A: A few things have changed since I got back into town. Back then, Democrats were in the House majority, the Wizards were known as the Bullets, and the Green Line was still under construction. My roommate was a talented young law student named Adrian Fenty. When I arrived this year, he had already completed a four-year term as the youngest mayor in the history of the city.

Q: St. Patrick’s Day was a couple of weekends ago, a big holiday in New York City. How did you celebrate?

A: I didn’t get the chance to attend the Brooklyn St. Patrick’s Day parade, which occurs in a neighboring congressional district. However, I did spend several hours throughout the morning and afternoon worshipping with constituents at two different Baptist churches in the district I represent. Thereafter, I finished the day touring a very active matzo factory busily preparing for the Passover holiday.